Feeding method and apparatus for dynamic separators

Abstract

The invention relates to an axial feeding method of the material to be separated in a dense-medium dynamic separator ( 1 ). This method is based on the principle of imparting to the material and to the fluid in which it is dispersed, in order to facilitate introduction thereof into the separator ( 1 ), a rotational velocity component with respect to the axis of the latter, in this way the particles of material have a movement corresponding to that of the dense medium circulating in the separator, so as to prevent uncontrolled dispersion of the particles inside it. The invention also comprises a feeding apparatus ( 2 ) for carrying out the abovementioned method.

1. A method of feeding material to be separated into a dense medium dynamic separator comprising at least one separating stage, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) introducing particles of material to be separated using a fluid fluxing medium, the particles of material being introduced along a longitudinally ditected forward flowline of the particles of material with respect to the separator; 
 b) imparting a rotational speed component with respect to the forward flowline to the fluxing medium and to the particles of materials dispersed therein when both are in a feeding chamber; and 
 c) passing all of the fluxing medium and the particles of materials into the at least one separating stage. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the rotational speed component is concordant with that of a main dense medium circulating in the separating stage. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein the rotational speed components is imparted by supplying at least in part the fluxing medium tangentially with respect to the feeding chamber, the feeding chamber being arranged upstream of the separating stage and being in axial communication therewith. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the feeding chamber tapers toward the separating stage. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the feeding chamber is frustoconical. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rotational speed component is imparted using a mixer comprising at least one helical vane, the mixer being arranged along a path of the fluxing medium upstream in the separating stage. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rotational speed component is imparted using a chamber rotating about an axis of the separating stage and communicating therewith. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein part of the material to be separated is fed tangentially into the separating stage together with the main dense medium circulating inside it. 
     
     
       9. A feeding system for a dynamic separator for use with a dense medium, the feeding system comprising:
 a separating stage for separating particles of materials; 
 a hopper for storage of the particles of materials; 
 a feeding chamber communicating along a forward flowline with the separator and upstream with the hopper; and at least one pipe having a first end disposed in the feeding chamber tangentially with respect thereto for supplying fluxing medium to the feeding chamber, the fluxing medium imparting a rotational speed component to the particles of material, the rotational speed component being maintained for passage of the fluxing medium and the particles of material into the separating stage. 
 
     
     
       10. The feeding system of  claim 9 , wherein the feeding chamber is frustoconical. 
     
     
       11. The feeding system of  claim 9  wherein the hopper is connected to the feeding chamber by means of a column having one of a predefined height and inclination with respect to the vertical. 
     
     
       12. The feeding system of  claim 11 , wherein the column is formed using modular elements joined together in a removable manner. 
     
     
       13. A feeding system for a dynamic separator, the feeding system comprising:
 a hopper for discharging particles of materials; 
 a feeding chamber communicating wit the separator downstream and communicating with the hopper upstream; 
 a first pipe disposed in the feeding chamber tangentially with respect thereto for supplying a fluxing medium to the feeding chamber, the fluxing medium imparting a rotational speed component to the particles of material, the rotational speed component being maintained for passage of the fluxing medium and the particles of material into the separator; and 
 a second pipe disposed in the feeding chamber for passing particles of material from the hopper to the feeding chamber.